Blank applying apparatus



Dec. 29, 1964 E. c. SHERMAN 3,162,988

BLANK APPLYING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 1, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 5 INVENTOR.

EARLEC SHERMAN A 7' TO/PNEV Dec. 29, 1964 E. c. SHERMAN BLANK APPLYING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 1, 1962 INVENTOR EARLEC SHERMAN M/ m Dec. 29, 1 E. c. SHERMAN BLANK APPLYING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Oct. 1 1962 EC INVENTOZ EARL .SHERM N B j W ATTORNEY- United States Patent 3,162,938 BLANK APPLYTNG APPARATU Emlc C. Sherman, Monroe, Len, assignor to Glitz Triathleson Qhernical Corporation, a corporation or" "Virginia Filed Qct. ll, 19%.? Ser. No. 227,246 4- Claims. (or. 53-48) This invention relates to apparatus for forming package units by grouping a plurality of containers and mechanically folding and interlocking a wrapper blank about the group.

This invention more specifically relates to novel apparatus for transferring a wrapper blank from a hopper to a group of containers as they are moved past a blank applying section of the machine by conveyor means.

In a packaging machine which mechanically applies a wrapper blank to a group of containers, containers are delivered to the machine in one or more rows by a continuously moving conveyor. The packaging machine generally comprises three main sections which are identified as:

(l) A grouping section in which one or more rows of containers are separated into spaced groups of two or more containers. Grouping apparatus which may be used with this invention is disclosed in detail in my copending application S.N. 227,505, filed October 1, 1962.

(2) A blank applying section in which a wrapper blank is aligned with and placed on each group. This apparatus is described in detail in this application.

(3) A folding section wherein the wrapper blank is mechanically folded about the group and interlocked to form a package unit. Folding apparatus which may be used with this invention is described in detail in my copending application S.N. 250,434, filed January 9, 1963.

In apparatus for applying individual blanks to separated groups of containers as the groups move through the blank applying section of a packaging machine; it is necessary to separate an individual blank from a stack of blanks arranged in a hopper or the like; transfer the separated blank into registry with group of containers as the containers are moving through the blank applying section, and then deposit the blank on top of the group of containers so that the blank will then be carried along by the containers through the folding section of the machine.

This invention is directed to apparatus for separating a single blank from a group of blanks which are fed into a hopper in stack. A plurality of vacuum operated suction cups are arranged to sequentially move toward the stack; separate the bottom blank from the stack; and bring the bottom blank into engagement with a spaced set of lugs mounted on laterally spaced chains which are trained over a plurality of sprocket wheels. The chains and the lugs carry the lank around a circular path into a position directly above a group of conta ners. Guide means are provided adjacent the chains and sprockets to guide the blank in a fixed circular path. The lugs on the chain and the guide means release the blank as it is positioned on top of a group of containers which is passing directly therebeneath.

This application will now be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view showing the details of the blank applying section of the packaging machine of this invention.

FIGURE 2 is a sectional side view of the apparatus of FZGURE 1 taken along line 2-2 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged detail view of the vacuum control mechanism of this invention.

Secured to the main frame of the machine and extending upwardly therefrom and disposed on opposite sides thereof are a pair of upstanding support plates 1 and 2.

3,l2,%3 Fatented Dec. 29, 19641- Bearings supports 3 and 4 rigidly mount a main shaft 5 between the plates 1 and 2. Mounted for rotation on main shaft 5 are a pair of large sprocket wheels 6 and 7. Guide plates 8 and 2 are disposed adjacent the sprockets 6 and 7 respectively and provide means for guiding a blank in a circular path between the sprockets and the guide plates. Each of the guide plates 8 and 9 has a flanged portion 1d and H respectively to provide a bearing surface for a wrapper blank as it is guided in said circular path by the guide plates. Mounted on shaft 5 and spaced laterally outwardly from the sprockets 6 and 7 are a pair of rotating end guides 12 and 13. Each of the end guides 12 and 13 is provided with a flange 14 and 15, respectively, to provide a bearing surface for the ends of a wrapper blank as it is guided in its movement by the rotating end guides. A cam 16 is mounted on shaft 5 directly adjacent the sprocket 6. The cam 16 is adjustably fastened to the sprocket 6 by screws 17 in elongated slots 1% to provide an adjustment between the cam and the large sprocket 6. Screws 17 are provided to securely lock cam in to the sprocket 6 in an adjusted position. Cam to is provided with projections 19. A pair of support arms and 21 are fixedly mounted on main shaft 5 and extend vertically upward relative to the shaft. Pivotaily mounted on the free ends of support arms 20 and 21 are a pair of vacuum arms 22 and 2d respectively. Each of the vacuum arms is provided with a plurality of vacuum cups 2 5- which are connected by flexible conduits 25 to a vacuum control valve 2-5. Vacuum arm 22 has a cam follower Z7 rotatably secured thereto by means of a stub shaft 28. The earn follower is adapted to ride on the rim of cam 16 so that the projections 19 on the cam raise and lower vacuum arms 22 and 23 as cam 16 rotates with sprocket 6.

Screw threadedly mounted on a bar 3th which rigidly connects arms 22 and 23 is an adjustable vacuum control plate 351. Control plate 31 has a threaded stem 32 which is threaded into bar 3d. Lock nut 33 is provided to lock plate 31 in an adjustable position. Plate 31 is adjusted to contact a plunger 34 mounted on vacuum control valve 26. Valve 26 is mounted on one end of an arm 35. The other end of arm 35 is rigidly mounted on main shaft 5. The up and down movement of the vacuum arms 22 and 23 caused by cam 16 engaging follower 27 raises and lowers control plate 31 which is connected thereto. The control plate 31 engages plunger 34 of the valve 26 to open and close the valve. The plunger 34 is spring biased to an open position by spring as which is interposed between the valve body and a pair of locking nuts 37. When plunger 34 is biased to its open position the suction cups are in direct communication with a vacuum pump 25A. When plunger 34 is depressed by plate 31 the vacuum cups are vented to the atmosphere through ventopenings SS in valve 2-6. Conduit means 39 connect the valve 26 to a conventional vacuum pump 26A mounted on the frame of the machiie.

Mounted directly above the control arms and aligned with the vacuum cups is a hopper, generally indicated as, adapted to receive a stack of wrapper blanks 41. The hopper comprises a plurality of upstanding rod members 42, 43, 44 and 45, each of which is provided with a stop projection at its lower end 46, 47, 4E; and 49 respectively. The stop projections are adapted to engage with a lowermost wrapper blank, in a stack of blanks, to maintain the stack in a position disposed above the vacuum cups. Hopper rods 42 and 43 are rigidly connected to support plates 1 and 2 by transverse rigid members Sit and 51. Hopper rods and &5 are provided with slots 52 and $3. Bolts 54 and 55 adjustably connect rods 24 and 45 respectively to a pair of block members 56 and 57 adjustably mounted oririgid extensions 58 and 5%. Eirtensions 58 and 59 project from a bar as which is adjustably mounted at its sneaess ends 61 and '62 on guide plates 8 and 9 respectively. Rods 44 and 45 are thus adjustable up and down and toward and away from rods a2 and 23 to accommodate blanks of diiferent sizes and shapes.

Rotatably journaled in the support plates 1 and 2 is a drive shaft 63. The drive shaft as is disposed forward of and slightly below the main shaft 5. A pair of sprocket Wheels 64 and 65 are keyed to drive shaft 63 and adapted to rotate therewith. A carrier chain as having lugs 67 mounted thereon is trained over sprocket 6 and sprocket 64. A second carrier chain 68 having lugs 69 mounted thereon is trained over sprockets 7 and 65. A drive sprocket '79 is keyed to drive shaft 63 and is driven by a chain 71 which is, in turn, driven by another sprocket 72 mounted on shaft 73. Shaft 73 is connected to a drive motor (not shown) by conventional means.

The operation of the apparatus of this invention will now be described in detail.

A stack of wrapper blanks 41 is deposited in the hopper 40. The lowermost blank engages the stop members 46,

4-7, 48 and 49 which project inwardly from the upstanding hopper rods 42, 43, 44 and 45. The large sprockets 6 and 7 are driven through their carrier chains 66 and 63 respectively by the smaller sprocket wheels 64 and 65 respectively. The small sprockets 64 and 65 are driven through shaft 63 by drive sprocket 7d. As the large sprocket 6 rotates on main shaft 5, it causes cam 16 to rotate with it since the cam 16 is directly connected to sprocket 6 by screws 17. Rotation of the cam 16 raises and lowers vacuum arms 22 and 23 which are rigidly interconnected by bar 30. The raising and lowering of vacuum arms 22 and 23 is effected by cam follower 27 riding over projections 19 on the cam 16. Cam follower 27 is mounted on vacuum arm 22 by means of a stub shaft 28. As the vacuum arms are raised toward the hopper 46 by the cam follower 2'7 riding up over a projection 19 on the cam, vacuum control plate 31 moves out of engagement with plunger 34. Plunger 34 operates the control valve 26. When the plunger 34' is disengaged by control plate 31, the suction cups 24 are in direct communication with the vacuum pump 26A. The suction cups in their raised position contact the lowermost blank in the hopper and grip the blank. As cam 16 continues to rotate, cam follower 27 moves down over the projection 19 and the vacuum arms 22, 23 with vacuum cups 24 move away from hopper '40, with the suction cups engaging the lowermost blank which was in the hopper. Vacuum control plate 31 engages plunger 34 and disconnects the vacuum cups from communication with the vacuum pump 26A. The wrapper blank is thus disengaged from the vacuum cups and is deposited directly on the carrier chains 66 and '68. Lugs 67 and as on the respective carrier chains engage the edge of the blank and propel the blank through the circular path around large sprockets 6 and 7. The blank is guided in its movement through the circular path by guide plates 8 and 9 with their respective guide flanges 1i] and 11. The wrapper blank is also guided by rotating end guides 12 and 13, which are adjustable to accommodate wrapper blanks of diiferent lengths. The wrapper blank is guided to a position directly over a group of spaced containers 74, which are being propelled just below the sprocket wheels and carrier chains by a flight bar 75. The movement of an individual wrapper blank in a circular path about the large sprockets is synchronized with the movement of the groups of containers driven by flight bars 75 through the blank applying section of the machine. The individual wrapper blanks are thus deposited directly on top of a given group of containers. The group of containers with a wrapper blank positioned on top is then ready to move through the folding section of the machine whichis described in detail in my above mentioned copending application S.N 250,434.

Although this invention has been described in detail with respect to the specific embodiment illustrated in the drawings; it is anticipated that various modifications and design changes will be apparent to those skilled in the art which are within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Blank applying apparatus comprising, a pair of laterally spaced chains, sprocket means mounting said chains for continuous movement in laterally spaced vertical planes, hopper means mounted above said chains, vacuum arms positioned between said chains, means mounting said vacuum arms for pivotal movement toward and away from said hopper to selectively deliver blanks from said hopper onto said chains, vacuum cups mounted on said vacuum arms, valve means and conduit means connecting said vacuum cups to a vacuum source, control means mounted on said vacuum arms adapted to interrupt the vacuum flow when said vacuum arms are moved away from said hopper, a cam mounted on said sprocket means adapted to engage a cam follower on one of said vacuum arms to move said vacuum arms toward and away from said hopper as the sprocket and cam means rotate, and guide means mounted adjacent said laterally spaced chains to guide a wrapper blank positioned on said chains in a path about the periphery of said chains from a position above the chains to a position below the chains wherein the blank is inverted and operatively applied to a group of objects moving in a linear path below said chains and at a location directly below said hopper.

2. Apparatus for delivering wraparound blanks from a fixed hopper to groups of containers moving in a linear path below said hopper comprising, a hopper adapted to hold a stack of said blanks, guide means including a pair of rotatable end guides and a plurality of fixed guide plates defining a circular path of travel for said blanks from said hopper to a position directly below said hopper onto a group of moving containers, conveyor means adapted to propel said blank through said circular path, "acuum cups mounted on a pivoted arm below said hopper, valve means connecting said cups to a vacuum source through a plurality of conduits, rotating cam means synchronized with the movement of said groups adapted to engage a cam follower on said arm and move said vacuum cups to a first position into engagement with the lowermost blank in said stack and then to a second position aligned with said conveyor means and the blank is engaged by lugs on said conveyor means, and automatic control means mounted on said arm adapted to actuate said valve means to communicate said vacuum cups with said source of vacuum while in said first position and to cut off said source of vacuum in said second position.

3. Blank applying apparatus comprising, a pair of laterally spaced large sprockets rotatably mounted on a fixed shaft, a pair of laterally spaced small sprockets fixedly mounted on a rotating drive shaft, a pair of continuous chains, each of said chains being trained about a large sprocket and a small sprocket to provide a pair of laterally spaced chains mounted for movement in a fixed continuous path, each of said chains being provided with lug means, a hopper positioned above said chains to hold a stack of flat wrapper blanks, means pivotally mounting a pair of vacuum arms on said fixed shaft, vacuum cups mounted on said vacuum arms, a valve means and conduit means connecting said cups to a vacuum source, cam means mounted on one of said large sprockets, a cam follower mounted on one of said vacuum arms adapted to engage said cam and move said vacuum cups from a first position in engagement with the lowermost blank in said stack to a second position wherein the blank is deposited on the outer surface of said chains in engagement with a pair of lugs, valve control means mounted on said vacuum arm adapted to actuate said valve means to cut ed the vacuum when the cups are in said second position, and guide means mounted adjacent said chains to guide said blanks as the blanks are carried around a circular path from a first position above said chains to a second position below said chains where the blanks are each deposited in flat form on a group of objects moving in a linear path.

4. The device of claim 3 in which said guide means includes a pair of fixed guide plates positioned adjacent said large sprockets, and a pair of rotatable end guides adjustably mounted on said fixed shaft to accommodate blanks of diflerent length, each of said guide plates and end guides having a flanged portion to provide a bearing surface against which said blank is engaged.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,981,042 4/61 Gentry 5348 X 2,998,685 9/61 Ganz 53-159 X 3,032,945 5/62 Currie et a1. 53 -48 3,064,404 11/62 Chidsey et a1. 5348 3,083,510 4/6-3 Ganz 53-48 FRANK E. BAILEY, Primary Examiner. TRAVIS S. MCGEHEE, Examiner. 

1. BLANK APPLYING APPARATUS COMPRISING, A PAIR OF LATERALLY SPACED CHAINS, SPROCKET MEANS MOUNTING SAID CHAINS FOR CONTINUOUS MOVEMENT IN LATERALLY SPACED VERTICAL PLANES, HOPPER MEANS MOUNTED ABOVE SAID CHAINS, VACUUM ARMS POSITIONED BETWEEN SAID CHAINS, MEANS MOUNTING SAID VACUUM ARMS FOR PIVOTAL MOVEMENT TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID HOPPER TO SELECTIVELY DELIVER BLANKS FROM SAID HOPPER ONTO SAID CHAINS, VACUUM CUPS MOUNTED ON SAID VACUUM ARMS, VALVE MEANS AND CONDUIT MEANS CONNECTING SAID VACUUM CUPS TO A VACUUM SOURCE, CONTROL MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID VACUUM ARMS ADAPTED TO INTERRUPT THE VACUUM FLOW WHEN SAID VACUUM ARMS ARE MOVED AWAY FROM SAID HOPPER, A CAM MOUNTED ON SAID SPROCKET MEANS ADAPTED TO ENGAGE A CAM FOLLOWER ON ONE OF SAID VACUUM ARMS TO MOVE SAID VACUUM ARMS TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID HOPPER AS THE SPROCKET AND CAM MEANS ROTATE, AND GUIDE MEANS MOUNTED ADJACENT SAID LATERALLY SPACED CHAINS TO GUIDE WRAPPER BLANK POSITIONED ON SAID CHAINS IN A PATH ABOUT THE PERIPHERY OF SAID CHAINS FROM A POSITION ABOVE THE CHAINS TO A POSITION BELOW THE CHAINS WHEREIN THE BLANK IS INVERTED AND OPERATIVELY APPLIED TO A GROUP OF OBJECTS MOVING IN A LINEAR PATH BELOW SAID CHAINS AND AT A LOCATION DIRECTLY BELOW SAID HOPPER. 